Johannesburg – Public Protector Thuli Madonsela on Wednesday pledged R15 000 towards the #FeesMustFall movement by students calling for free tertiary education.
“As long as there is injustice somewhere, sustainable peace cannot be experienced anywhere. Education is important in the delivery of the constitutional dream of the freed potential and improved quality of life of all,” Madonsela said, speaking at the IUA United Communal Fund fundraising dinner in Durban. “Education is a key component for a country’s progression, therefore when we collectively work towards educating our young persons; we actively and jointly contribute to a South Africa we all want to see because young people carry the dreams and hopes of our people. We ought to take cognisance of the fact that South Africa is a relatively rich country with innovative young minds that can help address today’s problems.”
Students across South Africa have been protesting for free education at various universities including the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, the University of KwaZulu-Natal, the University of Cape Town, the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth and the Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria.
Madonsela’s office said in a statement that she would pledge towards the #FeesMustFall crisis because there was a need for corporate South Africa to join the search for solutions to the fees crises.
Madonsela implored the support of corporate South Africa to join hands and establish a fund that can be utilised to assist many young South Africans, who require funding to complete their tertiary education.
The office of the Public Protector would make use of the Corporate Social Initiative Fund that was created from Madonsela received over the years. Madonsela hopes that her pledge would encourage more in corporate South Africa to follow her example and make a difference by putting previously disadvantaged students through university.
The students have been protesting since Monday after Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande announced that state universities could increase fees for 2017, capped at eight percent.
